Mattyice

Watching paint dry is more entertaining than watching this nonsense. Even if it wasn’t a piece of extremely obvious Jeff Bezos **** up to Trump offering, the film is painfully boring. Melania has less charm than a plank of wood and absolutely nothing interesting happens. Not even going to be a so bad it’s good watch in retrospect

Elemental is a film that sounds full of potential, but sadly is a poor showing from a Pixar studio that is all of a sudden struggling to find consistent good talent behind the camera outside of their veteran directors from the 90s-00s. Elemental takes the worst of Pixar's worst offerings (namely Lightyear's boring plot and characters, Cars 2's lazy and just bad humor, and The Good Dinosaur's inconsistent animation, poor character designs, and surface level themes) and merges them into arguably its most underwhelming film yet. Adding on to those flaws, the world building, while creative at points, just seems totally forced and doesn't work well from a basic concept, and the voice cast doesn't do the best job, which isn't surprising given just how little well-known actors and voice actors are involved in this project. It's really a shame to see how far Pixar has fallen and how it, along with Disney's animation division as a whole, is getting outdone from an animation, thematic depth, and story perspective by so many other animated studios, something Pixar used to set the gold standard for. I really hope they can bounce back, because Elemental might just be the studio's rock bottom.

Just like its predecessor, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is an absolute masterpiece and revolutionizes what an animated movie can be. The biggest standout is its absolutely breathtaking yet somehow seamless blending of a wide variety of animation and filmmaking styles. So many frames of this film are truly jaw-dropping (particularly the scenes involving Gwen and The Spot, which look like they came from an art museum at points), but the film isn't just a pretty face. The wide cast of characters, both new and from the previous films, are a delight to follow, with Miles, Gwen, and Spider-Punk being the true standouts, with their respective voice actors doing a great job as well. The story and humor are equally as strong as the first film, but this film further explores what it means to be Spider-Man and how we find our place in a complex, messy world. Furthermore, Daniel Pemberton's score is absolutely phenomenal again and Metro Boomin's original music is a welcome addition as well. I truly cannot praise this film enough and everyone involved, from the writers to the animators. We need more of this in both animation and Hollywood in general, and I truly cannot wait til Beyond the Spider-Verse comes out next year. This is a must watch and, once again, transforms the entire medium of animation in a way that puts Disney to shame.

I was quite worried going into this film given Marvel's polarizing track record in Phases 4 and 5, plus James Gunn's departure for DC. However, I'm absolutely thrilled to say Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is debatably the best of the Guardians trilogy and one of Marvel's best movies, period. James Gunn and the entire cast put their entire heart and soul into this film and you can feel it. Excellent acting from everyone, one of Marvel's most evil villains in the High Evolutionary, a story and writing with a perfect balance of humor, horror, and heart (something MCU higher-ups and writers can learn a few things from), VFX that do not look rushed like in too many recent MCU movies, and a very satisfying conclusion for all team members. It's not perfect, as I feel the film is a bit bloated (namely in the 2nd act) and the Adam Warlock tease at the end of Vol. 2 doesn't pay off all that well, but I had a great time with this film and have optimism that the MCU can achieve the greatness it once had in its future projects with the right writers and directors.

One would never think a sequel to a long forgotten Shrek spinoff movie would be one of Dreamworks' best projects ever, and yet Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is just that. The film is gorgeously animated, featuring a 2D/3D hybrid similar to the likes of Spider-Verse and Mitchells vs. the Machines, yet improved upon in some manners. The voice cast is beyond exceptional, from the returning actors in Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, as well as newcomers in Florence Pugh and John Mulaney. Finally, and most important, the writing of this film is masterful, blending both excellent humor aimed at a more mature audience (like the Shrek movies) and deep subject matter relating to making the most of the life we do have and the people we spend it with, all of which told in a great story. I cannot recommend this film enough, and I cannot wait for more returns to Far Far Away in the future Shrek installments this is setting up.

If you loved the first movie, you will likely enjoy Avatar: The Way of Water as well. If you didn't, then you won't enjoy it. Simple as that. I personally have mixed feelings for the first movie, and thus I have the same for the sequel as well. From a visual standpoint, like the original, The Way of Water is breathtaking, with world-class CG effects and fantastic character and animal designs. The third act climax is also fun as hell, just like it was in the first one. However, just as the strengths of the movie are the same, the weaknesses are the same as well. The weak story structure, bland main characters, lame antagonist, and environmental message are practically identical to that of the first movie, so don't expect any new ground in those departments. Furthermore, with an egregiously long 3+ hour runtime, there is certainly a lot that could've been cut and nothing would've been lost. Worse, what was cut from some scenes was done so pretty jarringly in the editing room. Because James Cameron could not write a nearly tight enough script, many scenes (particularly in the first two acts) just suddenly cut away in what clearly was designed to only be the middle of the scene. There were also a few issues with rapid frame rate choppiness in many scenes, which I personally could overlook, although I know this could be nauseating for some. Overall, if you liked the first and can overlook the same total lack of creativity in the story, character, and thematic department, as well as its overly long length and choppy editing resulting from an oblong script, and just focus on the stunning visuals and action, you'll enjoy The Way of Water. Otherwise, you'll be left wondering why you wasted close to 3.5 hours in a theater to watch a VFX showcase.

As was the case with the first Knives Out movie, Glass Onion is a fun, witty, hilarious, and masterfully written and directed roller coaster ride. Although some of the charm of Rian Johnson’s whodunit style has worn off given it was already used in the first film, Glass Onion provides a vastly different story structure, setting, and cast of characters, all acted superbly (especially Janelle Monae, who truly showed her acting chops can match the power of her songwriting). The film also ends up being equally funny, if not funnier, than the first one, as well as equally a great time. Somehow, some way, Glass Onion proves to be a sequel/spinoff that both differentiates from the original and improves on it in many ways, and is certainly worth a watch this holiday season.

Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio is a fascinating and fabulous film that embraces all that makes him a masterful director and this story a timeless tale. Rather than simply telling a by-the-book, sunshine and rainbows adaptation of the source material, this film chooses to be different through its setting (Fascist Italy, eerily reminiscent of when Del Toro set Pan's Labyrinth in Francoist Spain) and, more important, its tone and themes. This adaptation embraces the more mature aspects of the story by commentating on how important embracing the one life we do have and those who make it worth living, as well as the classic Pinocchio lessons of being good and courageous, and even then it puts a spin on this idea by saying you may need to break the rules once in a while to do so. Finally, I've got to praise the stop motion animation, which is very well done in this adaptation and truly matches the tone set. Overall, even though this is another adaptation of a story you've heard before, it's one certainly worth watching, especially compared to the haphazard and lazy Disney remake released earlier this year.

Creative, thought-provoking, fun, and original: a blend of all of those aspects is rare in modern cinema, yet Everything Everywhere All at Once manages to be all of those things and more. The acting and cinematography are top notch, the multiverse story is insanely innovative and wacky, and the writing is so perfectly done and impactful. Furthermore, while the comedy comes rapid-fire at points and lands almost every time, the film takes its time for slower, more introspective scenes that leave one wondering about how their multiversal selves are and how we can make the most of this life we have here, even if it may not be as impressive as we hoped. This is a must watch film, and, as of now, my favorite of 2022 without question.

Martin McDonagh makes his return after a five year absence with The Banshees of Inisherin, and I must say it's his best work since In Bruges. The duo of Collin Ferrell and Brendan Gleeson each provide standout performances, as well as the rest of the small cast of this film, while the plot is tightly told with none of the unnecessary pretension one usually finds out of an artsier film. McDonagh blends witty black comedy with a simple yet powerful story of the abrupt ending of a lifelong friendship that will leave you laughing at one moment and saddened in the next. Its themes regarding loneliness (specifically repressed loneliness amongst men), the nature of inter-social relationships, and greater meanings in life are truly phenomenal and expressed in a simple, melancholic way that will leave one thinking about where they are and who is in their life. The only flaw I can truly mention regarding this film is the fact the film is quite bleak, which makes it not much of a rewatch. However, for a one time viewing, The Banshees of Inisherin is 100% worth a watch and will certainly make you think, laugh, and cry.

Wakanda Forever proves to be a great end to an otherwise inconsistent phase 4. Ryan Coogler truly nails the story, direction, and cinematography of this film, adding depth and impressive camerawork to the MCU that oftentimes feels missing. He also adds complex themes regarding grief, vengeance, and nationalism that leave the audience thinking in the end about the content of the film, rather than just mindlessly consuming it like some MCU movies. Additionally, the characters (namely Shuri and Namor, who deserves his own series or movie) and actors associated with them, are phenomenal, although I did find the inclusion of both Riri Williams and Everett Ross to be superfluous. The action sequences are also much improved over the first film thanks to better (but still sometimes middling) CGI. As difficult as this movie was to get made given the circumstances surrounding its production, Ryan Coogler and company still manage to create another very compelling project that hopefully is a sign of better things to come for an MCU that's been getting stale and mixed in quality.

Black Adam is an entertaining but ultimately very generic superhero movie that doesn't do anything to break new ground in the genre or make it stand out from even other DCEU projects. I can appreciate the small unique aspects of the movie, its attempts at thematic elements, and the fact it's entertaining for a one-time watch, but it lacks so much charm and the Rock's ego truly overshadows the film. Everything else in it is just so generic, bland, and off the shelf. It feels factory-made and, honestly, might be worth saving for a watch on streaming rather than a trip to the theater. People here are giving it way too much credit cause they want it to succeed.

Blonde is a painful movie to sit through thanks to multiple factors, the first and worst of which being the focused subject matter. The film chooses to focus exclusively on Monroe's continuous suffering and exploitation by every person she was surrounded by, which makes the film feel smut-like, monotonous, and, ironically, exploitative itself. It reduces Monroe down to an abused sex symbol with daddy issues, rather than an actual human with character and depth beyond that. Additionally, with this harrowing subject matter in mind, Blonde is disgustingly long and should've had over an hour of its runtime cut, as scenes feel overly repetitive and there is not remotely enough depth to justify the length. Lastly, combined with the aforementioned is the pretension in the direction and writing. The film's entire style is distracting and attention-seeking, using certain visuals (which on their own are beautiful) over and over again, while not justifying their continuous presence enough. Ana De Armas gives a great performance as Marilyn and is a saving grace at times, but ironically the entire film feels like it's just abusing her for her beauty and body, rather than her acting ability, which I know from Blade Runner 2049 and Knives Out can be amazing on its own. In the end, Blonde is a miserable, interminable, and honestly regressive film that only a sick sadist would find entertaining, empowering, or impactful. Do not waste your time with it.

Like most Baz Luhrmann movies, Elvis does some things very well that make it an enjoyable watch, but it is bogged down by forced style, odd directorial choices, and questionable editing (or lack thereof). The style of the film is bombastic and Elvis' music, remixed or otherwise, is showcased with a huge burst of energy, although the sweeping shots and editing tricks get very tiring after a while and detract from the emotional stakes at hand. Austin Butler's performance as the titular character is spectacular and most of the other performances are good, except from, shockingly, the actor you would think would be the best performer: Tom Hanks. His Colonel Tom Parker performance is laughably bad and arguably the worst of his career. The directorial choice to tell the story from Parker's perspective rather than Elvis' or even a family member's perspective is just head scratching, as Parker is detestable throughout the film and he occupies just as much if not more screen time than Elvis. I applaud the risk, but this choice definitely frustrates the audience more and more as the film drags on as Parker becomes more and more hatable. Speaking of that, the film is way too long, clocking in at over 2 hours and 30 minutes, while also rushing through the prime of Elvis' career to focus on his sad downfall, which creates major pacing issues and leaves behind the fun side of Elvis' music that would've fit Baz's style. Overall, Elvis is about on par with the rest of Luhrmann's works, which means it has its moments, but has some truly head scratching flaws and directorial choices that drag the film down from being anything more than okay.

Taking the Predator movies closer to formula while increasing the terror by throwing it back in time with archaic weaponry helps Prey stand out and make for an good watch. Naru is a solid lead that works a lot better than most female leads thrown out by Hollywood today due to personal stakes and struggles, while the rest of the supporting cast is good as well. The action is coordinated and shot very well, and the gore is very much there and brutal as it is in almost all Predator movies. This should make for a great film, however budget constraints clearly hold this back from being an epic that can match the original Predator movie. The CGI is definitely restrained and not particularly great when used, the scale feels very small (working both in favor of and against the film), and the forrest sets are definitely bland. Additionally, the pacing is a bit all over the place, with the movie taking its sweet time early on and rushing a bit through the second half. Overall, though, given what the Predator franchise has put out before, there's no doubt Prey is the best since the OG movie.

There's a good movie somewhere in there when it comes to Thor: Love and Thunder, but the overall package makes for a big disappointment and one of Marvel's worst efforts. Hemsworth, Bale, and Thompson all kill it with their performances, although Natalie Portman's is a mixed bag overall, succeeding far more as Jane Foster than Mighty Thor. Additionally, the new worlds explored and the color palette used in the film are bright and fun to look at, while the soundtrack rocks like it did in Ragnarok. However, the major problems shine brighter than all of that. The script is just really poor and feels like it was written by a child in many respects, particularly in the joke department. The film has no idea how to balance its tone, feeling far too immature towards its more serious subject matters like genocide and cancer, and misses far more than it hits on its jokes (namely the screaming goats joke, which was arguably the MCU's worst in any movie and felt ripped from ten years ago). A more troubling trend for the MCU as a whole, though, that this movie showcases blatantly is just how much was cut out. There are multiple scenes where it was clear a cut was put in to end a scene before it was intended to keep the runtime down. While this cutting was more subtle in Multiverse of Madness, it was so blatant in Love and Thunder and Marvel needs to let its directors do what they want, rather than keep the runtime down to under 2 hours to get more screenings in. It also works to the movies detriment as Gorr deserved much more screen time than he was given and some character development for the rest of the crew felt so rushed. While not an absolute bore like The Dark World, Love and Thunder is far inferior to both the original film and especially Ragnarok, as well as most of the MCU's other offerings.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is an adorable flick that anyone of any age can really adore. The innocence of Marcel (voiced by the fantastic Jenny Slate), the soft and small scale of the film, and the messages are really cute and can tug on anyone's heartstrings. A simple and funny, but very effective tale that's worth a watch.

The writers and producers should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for the absolute garbage they call a plot and all the blatant false advertising for this movie, respectively. While bringing back the original cast was nice to see and the visual effects (namely the many practical ones) are some of the best of the series, everything else in Jurassic World: Dominion is an absolute slog. The story is a snoozefest that's just so overstuffed yet boring at the same time. The whole Dinosaurs living with humans concept is NEVER truly explored either, which would've made for a unique tale. Furthermore, the acting is a total mixed bag, but the bad writing is doing the actors no favors. You know when the chief complaint of your previous movie (Fallen Kingdom) was the terrible script, you're supposed to find new scriptwriters right? Well, either the producers nor Universal seemed to understand this, as Dominion sends the Jurassic series off with a big old pile of Dino dung.

Top Gun: Maverick ends up being one of those rare sequels that surpasses the original classic in almost every way. Adding depth and gravitas to the story, as well as gorgeous cinematography and stunt sequences, while retaining some of the cheesiness, humor, and charm that made the original an 80s icon. Tom Cruise is obviously the stand out of the cast with a fantastic and shockingly emotional performance, but the rest of the cast is great as well and the new pilots all have their own charm, although I did find Miles Teller's Rooster to be a bit miscast. The only cons I really have for the film are the fact that it's a bit too heavy on exposition for both Maverick and Penny's, as well as Maverick and Rooster's, relationships. It's depiction of the "enemy", which is clearly Russian/Chinese yet isn't stated as much or shown, is also odd, but studios want to make money and not get this movie banned from those countries, so it's understandable albeit clunky. Otherwise, Top Gun Maverick is one heck of a ride and a very worthy trip to the cinema.

Although the film's runtime could've been cut by about 30 or so minutes and the romantic chemistry between Robert Pattinson's Batman and Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman felt really off, The Batman mostly lives up to the lofty expectations set by fans of the character and The Dark Knight movies that came before. The acting from the heavy majority of the cast is great, especially Pattinson when he's donning the cowl (less so as Bruce Wayne, where he comes off as kinda creepy), Kravitz, Paul Dano, and an unrecognizable Colin Ferrell. The riddles laid by The Riddler are both clever and digestible, the atmosphere around Gotham is very well-done, and the action choreography is fantastic. While it treads some similar ground to other Batman films before it, two things it does exceptionally well are making Batman do actual detective work and giving him a real character arc, something no Batman movie has really done before this one. Finally, in spite of the film's bloated runtime, it's paced really well and the pressure/intensity built up through the direction and score is great as well. While it could've been potentially streamlined a bit, The Batman should satisfy most comic book movie fans, as well as most movie fans so long as you're willing to enjoy the film through its 3 hour runtime.

Kimi doesn't break much new ground in the storytelling department, as it's like most "Rear Window"-esque thriller films, but it still provides an entertaining and well-shot experience that works as a short easily digestible and fun film. Soderbergh keeps the film paced nice and quick while Zoe Kravitz's COVID-jaded Angela feels relatable. There are obviously some major plot conveniences (although with it taking place in Seattle, it's not too far-fetched to feature all the main story elements in one city), its ending is pretty silly, and the Kevin character was pretty unnecessary, but otherwise it's hard to truly dislike this film. It will, at the very least, keep you entertained and make for a good and somewhat relatable popcorn thriller.

While it is practically an abridged straight version of Macbeth, the Tragedy of Macbeth is a unique adaptation of the Scottish Play that mesmerizes at times. The writing still holds onto the old English roots without fail (for better or worse), while the acting, cinematography, and set design stretch the boundaries between play and film, which is quite admirable and special for someone who hasn't watched the play before. However, given its nature, the fact I've seen Macbeth many times before, and how many adaptations of Macbeth have been created already, it's hard to call this film anything more than good. It's still at its core Macbeth, but the creativity and greatness of the film comes through its sheer production and atmosphere, rather than its story and character work, which makes it definitely one of the most unique Shakespeare adaptations, alongside Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. If you can appreciate that at least, you will certainly appreciate this watch.

"Don't Look Up" could've been something truly masterful if it just trusted its audience a little bit more and retained more of a focus rather than stretching itself too thin in certain respects. It still resulted in a good film with some solid humor, great performances, and a willingness to touch on many different (terrible) elements of society, from the awful political landscape and the lack of care for fellow humans, to more niche aspects like toxic positivity and awful echo-chambers promoted by the media and tech moguls. While it seems to be on the right track in the first half of the film, the second half is where it stumbles a bit, namely due to the thematic elements becoming far too heavy-handed and unrefined to land properly. It felt the need to really hammer home its messages to the audience so blatantly that the film's satire loses its deftness dramatically and plays like its audience is stupid. The film also is way too long and should've been trimmed by about 20-30 minutes. Adam McKay was so close to putting together a masterful satire about the current state of the world. While he hits home runs in certain respects, he strikes out in others, creating a good film that really missed out on its potential to be a great one. I'd probably give it somewhere between a 7 and an 8 in the end.

I can see why Lilly didn't sign on for this project and why Lana wanted to shelve this movie in the middle of production, cause it clearly shouldn't have been made, at least in this form. The Matrix Resurrections tinkers with cool ideas of personal choice in the modern age, as well as direct meta attacks on the reboot/sequelization of IPs that should remain dead, but doesn't do or say anything with these ideas. The storytelling is downright confusing and I felt so lost throughout it. Following an intriguing first act is a truly terribly paced second act filled with endless nonsensical monologuing and a near loss of any sense of what's going on. Furthermore, the cinematography truly contains some downright ugly shots and the action sequences also range from acceptable to broadcast TV bad, as it doesn't do enough with the intricacies of The Matrix and contains some of the worst gun choreography I've seen in a movie. All of the actors give good performances, but the recasting of Smith and Morpheus felt much more jarring than I thought it'd be, with both feeling like they should've been excluded rather than recast. The Matrix Resurrections shows why this franchise should've been left on the IP shelf, as it was ridiculously overwritten, nonsensical, and honestly quite a bit cynical.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

As good as much of the music was in the original Broadway show, it had backbreaking issues in its story and lead character. The film somehow manages to not only fail to address these major problems but exacerbates them to levels I didn't think were possible. Dear Evan Hansen is a morally perverted movie with a repugnant message. Ben Platt (in spite of being a good singer and the original lead in the show) is horribly out of place amongst actors who look way younger than him, which adds an even greater sense of uneasiness to Evan's harrowing actions throughout the story. Finally, the film makes a total mockery of mental health, anxiety, and suicide in one of the most sickening ways I've seen. Without spoiling too much, the story is poor at best, and predatory and sadistic at worst. It's no Cats in that its production design is ok, but the absolutely nauseating message, plot, lead, and treatment of major societal issues makes this adaptation very hard to swallow and makes me question how this disgusting show managed to win a Tony. Giving it anything other than a zero would be a moral failure on my part.

While Candyman is well-shot, well-acted, its hand-puppet scenes are very well done, and its themes of art and artistic approach are great, it disappoints as an overall picture in the end. One of the biggest issues is it truly isn't scary or intense in any way beyond the body horror shown on occasion. Furthermore, its gentrification themes feel very forced and are done with absolutely no subtlety or nuance whatsoever, making it feel rather shallow and preachy relative to the original film. Finally, its entire third act is really poorly written, leaving viewers cheated and bored in the end. It has merits in its direction and design, but its actual substance leaves a lot to be desired and could have been done way better with more nuance and better writing.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things is a thoroughly unenjoyable, pretentious, and downright infuriating movie if you do not know what the film is attempting to say or go in expecting anything containing a true narrative. I'll give the film credit for its great cinematography and editing style, as well as its neat (albeit hamfisted at points) ideas regarding perception of the world through different eyes and timeframes in one's life. However, writer/director Charlie Kaufman works best when he combines fantastic ideas with an entertaining and/or intriguing narrative, as shown in Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine. The narrative of this film is completely absurdist yet also horrendously tedious to drag through, the dialogue is extremely inauthentic and as chi-chi as any that I've heard in any film lately, and the film is almost completely humorless and morbid at every step of the way. I can give Kaufman some attempt of praise for pushing the creative boundaries and new ideas of film, however, he continues to sacrifice narrative, character, and sheer entertainment value, which creates grueling and punishing movie experiences I do not wish to experience again, nor reccomend to others.

While I give Mulan some credit for trying to do something different (whereas a lot of prior Disney remakes just rehashed the same story beats again and again), the lack of music, character, humor, and emotion leaves the film rather hollow. The original was full of life and spirit, while this film goes for a gritty and rather soulless approach, which is not what audiences in America asked for. Maybe Chinese audiences did (since this film was clearly made to pander to them), but even then from what I heard they loved the songs, Li Shang, and Mushu too, who are both absent in this film. I appreciate Disney trying to actually make notable changes to its remakes for once, but this is just a boring slog of a movie that lacks any major enjoyment.

While the actors trying to replicate their prior performances is a bit wonky and the story is a tad dragged out in the middle, the third Bill and Ted movie still has the spirit of the first two, kind of putting itself between 2 and 1 in terms of quality. The comedy is of the same spirit and it ends pretty radically (albeit also suddenly). Overall, it's a nice return to mainstream movies again after a long hiatus, but nothing crazy memorable like Excellent Adventure was.

While Robbie, McGregor, and most of the cast give solid performances and the action sequences truly are great at points, Birds of Prey features some problems that hamper the whole film. First off, the film doesn't feature enough of the title characters outside of the climax and the editing, unfortunately, reeks of Suicide Squad at many points and definitely should have been refined. At the very least, unlike the aforementioned film, this film has something resembling a real plot, although the plot is pedestrian at best. Finally, the film does not use its R-rating to its full potential outside of childish profanity-laced throughout, with very little of the humor landing. This film serves as an unfortunate step backward for the DCEU just as it felt like it found its footing.

1917 is a technical and cinematic masterpiece. Mendes masterfully shoots the grueling nature and aftershocks of World War I in an emotionally compelling and artistically moving way. The main leads are very likable and truly drive home the film’s themes about war and death associated with it. The score is great as well and it’s truly hard to find any huge flaws about this film. My favorite film released in 2019 for sure and definitely one of my favorite war movies as well.

Ignore the Taylor Swift stans inflating the grade of this truly piece of crap movie (she’s only in the movie for around 5 minutes btw). Cats is, for the lack of a better term, a catastrophe. It was a terrible musical to begin with, mainly because it contains no plot (unless you consider the act of only introducing characters as a “plot”), is a dumb concept, features literally only one good song (Memory), and, most importantly, is really boring. The film, however, amplifies the terribleness of the musical by using nightmare-inducing CGI characters/costumes that look unfinished at points, annoying acting, and mixed tones, while also keeping all the huge flaws of the Broadway show. Nobody asked for a Cats film adaption and nobody (not even Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper) could ever make it work. Truly a sight to never behold.

Marriage Story is a haunting and powerful look into divorce, love, and the human experience of balancing family and career. Noah Baumbach's direction is spectacular, while all the performances (specifically Driver's though) are superb. The story this film tells is heartfelt and truly relatable to anyone who lost any kind of love at any point in their life and even more so for those who've experienced a divorce firsthand. I was left with teary eyes by the end and although some are unsatisfied with the ending, I feel it was rather cathartic and human, as things cannot be wrapped up in a neat bow in life. I was amazed by Marriage Story and I certainly hope it gets the credit it so rightfully deserves come awards season.

Although I will certainly need to rewatch this film to think about it even more, after first viewing, Joker is a haunting, deep, and dark film experience that will stick with you for a long time. Phoenix's acting, while slightly over-the-top at points, is excellent, while the rest of the cast's performance is really great as well. The first act drags a little bit but is more than made up for by the solid second and truly masterful third act that will leave you breathless and terrified walking out of the theater. I would see this movie for the third act and climax alone. On top of that, the gritty 70s-inspired Gotham, Phillips' directing, many poignant themes, and soundtrack (specifically score) are truly amazing. Albeit not a perfect movie, Joker is a film experience that will send shivers down your spine more than any horror movie these days and stick with you for years to come. I have never walked out of a theater more shaken than after this movie.

While entertaining and funny at many points, It: Chapter Two is a lot messier, bloated, and less charming than the first part. Bill Hader and James Ransone really steal the movie with great comedy and pitch-perfect representations of their child counterparts. The rest of the cast is pretty solid as well, although Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise gets noticeably less screen time this around. The movie's central problem comes from its insanely bloated runtime, as the film runs nearly three hours and it sure feels like it. With better direction and a better editor, the film could've been easily around 2 hours. The ending as well feels cheesy and ironic considering a running joke in the film. In addition, much like the first part, the horror is mostly cheap jump scares with a couple of scary visuals. Overall, It: Chapter Two is a film with good comedy and casting, but poor plotting, mediocre horror, and a ridiculously bloated runtime make it a mediocre experience overall.

While filmed with great care, acted with fantastic results (from Pitt and especially DiCaprio), and features a very fun (albeit controversial) ending, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a very mixed bag for the historically successful Tarantino. First off, its themes contrasting the glitz and glamor with the squalor and instability of Los Angeles have been done to death, although the character exploration of DiCaprio's Rick Dalton is pretty great. Furthermore, the film has no sense of direction, as the film goes from place to place with little flow or moments of impact usually found in Tarantino's films, making the overall film feel uneventful and boring. Finally, and most glaringly of all, Tarantino is at his most self-indulgent in this film. The film/actor nods, in-jokes, and references are solely done to serve his own ego and admiration of vintage Hollywood. The extremely stretched out dialogue and pointless scenes serve to be solely stroke his ego and throw ineffective character moments at the audience. This adds up to a painful 2 hour 40 minute run time that feels like it could've been cut down to 2 hours at least if not even shorter. These three problems among others amount to a film that wanes in comparison to the rest of Tarantino's masterpieces.

Yes, the visuals are pretty fantastic and the score/soundtrack is still one of my favorites ever and mostly only got better, but those are the only things I can truly appreciate about this insanely unoriginal and rather insulting remake of The Lion King. First off, the “live action” aspects actually hinder the film rather than help it, as the emotion of the powerful scenes in the original is **** dry with what looks like a voiceover of a nature documentary. The animals cannot express nearly the same level of emotion as animated characters due to the realism. In addition, the song sequences are far less dramatic and powerful because of the realism, turning amazing song sequences from the original into bland scenes consisting of characters running around or standing still (it’s criminal what they did to Be Prepared in particular). Finally, with regard to the realism, the scenes are far less vibrant and colorful, while the scale feels so much smaller than the original. Outside of the poorly thought out need for realism in the first place, the film might as well not credit its “screenwriters”, as about 80% of the films script is completely recycled from the original word-for-word. At least the other Disney live-action remakes changed at least half of the dialogue rather than literally just pull the script out from an archive and amend a few things. Finally, the voice acting is for the most part decent (with Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan as Timon and Pumba and the hyenas being standouts). However, some voice actors feel like they’re just trying to replicate what the prior voice actor did, making the film feel even less original. Once again, the realism makes the actors feel like they’re just narrating a documentary, leaving some performances (particularly Donald Glover as Simba) a bit lifeless. In the end, this was a remake that never should have been made and feels like a painful cash-grab of a legendary film. As revolutionary as the visuals are, this should have been left as a tech demo. It is absolutely soulless and I really don’t recommend giving Disney your money for what is a far inferior version of a fantastic film.

Toy Story 4 feels right at home with the rest of the films in the Toy Story series. Like the third film did with regard to the second, the fourth film shows us the consequences of the decisions made by Woody in the third film, choosing to try and continue his journey as support for Bonnie. It greatly expands on the themes of (mostly) the previous two films, taking new spins on topics ironically related to the life of the original two films' audience and introducing probably the entire series' most poignant and realistic themes. I was also a bit disappointed by the shelving of the original toys, who were relegated to almost mere cameo roles, but I did love the new characters introduced, particularly Ducky and Bunny, who provided some of the funniest comedy in the Toy Story series, and Gabby Gabby, who I will not get into for spoiler concerns. Additionally, it takes a little while for the film to get going, as its first act is pretty mediocre and slow, but does a good job of setting up future arcs. However, the film only gets better from there, with a fantastic and powerful third act that will definitely leave you teary-eyed (particularly if you're in your late 20s-early 40s). Toy Story 4 provides a really great and seeming conclusion to the Toy Story film franchise (I'm sure there will still be material produced for TV featuring these great toys). Even with a slow start and sidelining of the main cast from the first three films, its powerful themes, great new characters, stunning animation, and third act all more than make up for it, solidifying this film as another great entry in Pixar's lineup of classics.

With the first Godzilla movie, a lot of my personal criticisms revolved around the uninteresting human characters and lack of Godzilla and monster fights. Godzilla: King of the Monsters addresses the latter problem by upping the number of monsters and fights almost to an excessive extent. The former criticism, though, is not addressed well, as the human characters somehow got worse and feel downright comical at most points in their decision-making and dialogue. While the sometimes stunning action and cinematography truly make this movie look and feel awesome, the plot and development is laughable and paper thin, bringing the movie into Transformers-lite territory. King of the Monsters shows many moments of promise and beauty in its cinematography and kaiju designs and battles, its poor excuse for characters and a story keep this movie from being anything more than a pretty fun but also mindless summer popcorn blockbuster.

Endgame is everything one could have wanted from an MCU movie and more: fantastic characters, epic moments, and a plot that keeps you on your feet for all three acts. The action, cinematography, comedy, and climax are truly awesome and the final hour of the film left me almost unable to stop smiling in awe and wonder. To cap it all off, the movie has insane re-watchability, an uncommon trait in most MCU movies, meaning I'll probably be buying this movie on home media as well. While the massive 3 hour runtime could have been cut/streamlined slightly (namely in the first act) and the logic of an important part of the plot is a bit confusing (no spoilers), Endgame absolutely makes up for it by providing one of the most epic, powerful, and fun cinema experiences I've ever had.

Hellboy is absolutely hellish to get through. The only thing I can give credit to this movie for is decent performances. Everything else is an absolute trainwreck, from the peripherals like the awful CG and bad soundtrack to the essentials like forgettable characters and a rushed putrid excuse of a plot. While I didn’t have very high expectations given the trailers Jovovich’s involvement (yeah, she’s generally in a lot of bad movies), and the fact one of the production studios for this film is bankrupt/defunct, I at least expected this movie to be enjoyable. In the end, however, this 2 hour slog fest may be one of the very worst of this year so far. Do not even get me started when comparing it to the Del Toro originals...just don’t see this movie for the sake of good blockbusters everywhere.

Shazam was a pleasant surprise for the DCEU as it is heartfelt, action-packed, and features some lovable main characters. The plot keeps you on your feet and there’s never really a dull beat and features a great climax. While lighthearted, not all the jokes really hit it for me, but the overall optimism coming from this movie was nice. However, the film was not as unique-looking as other DCEU movies and the CG was a bit mediocre. In the end, though, Shazam is a great time at the movies and another brightspot for the growing DCEU

Politics aside, Captain Marvel is about as cookie-cutter as Marvel has gotten and feels almost dated. While not bad, it's nothing special. A key positive is the entire supporting cast (Sam L Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Lashana Lynch, and even the cat, Goose). They are the best part of this movie as they definitely give great performances. I'm also a **** for 90s nostalgia being a 90s kid. The action and the lead, however, are pretty lifeless and don't have any of the excitement usually found in MCU movies, especially coming off the clever fight scenes in both Infinity War and Ant-Man & The Wasp and great charm in performances given by most actors in the MCU. However, I do feel given better writing, Larson can give Captain Marvel the gusto needed to make her a good character. The plot also feels very "phase 1" and I strongly disliked some of the retconning done in this film. I see promise for the character in the future and there were some promising moments in this film, but this film was underwhelming and joins Thor: The Dark World and The Incredible Hulk as some of the MCU's worst.

I was almost certain that Dumbo would buck the trend of "copy-paste" Disney remakes with new characters and an engaging different story, considering Dumbo's original run time is a mere one hour. Unfortunately, I was sorely let down, as this ends up being a poor effort by Disney. Main positives were the adorable elephant himself and a few circus sequences. Also it's hard to resist the charm of Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton in their roles. However, the film falters in most other regards, with a story that puts more emphasis on the lifeless, boring human characters instead of Dumbo, changing a lot of the main significance/themes from the original movie. Even with a longer running time, it still feels like the story is rushing out of its originally okay beginning to a lackluster second half. Because of this, character development feels rushed as well. Overall, while I do still appreciate Disney trying something different than just doing complete remakes of their old properties, this is not a good one.

Hidden World closes off one of the best animated movie trilogies of all time in strong fashion. It's beautifully animated with lively main characters that have been developed well through the past two films, backed from a top-tier voice cast. The story is also entertaining with the action and flying sequences being as stunning as ever. The only thing hampering this film from being as great as its acclaimed counterparts is the weak, cliche villain, which has seemed to be a problem with all the How to Train Your Dragon movies. In the end, Hidden World closes off Dreamworks' best trilogy yet, even with new parent company Comcast/NBCU at the helm for this one.

While deep in meaning and fantastically acted (particularly by Nyong'o as both Adelaide and her double, Red) with a fantastic first two acts, Us ends up being just a good (not great) sophomore effort by Peele. I liked the perspective of inequality taken from the film, specifically economic and social class inequality, and some truly thrilling moments. However, the film's third act seems to detour leaving a lot more questions than answers with a lot of unset circumstances that could have been done more eloquently. In addition, the twist was relatively predictable based on the first act setup. Overall, this is a fine sophomore effort from Peele, but doesn't capture the success he found in Get Out. I'm fascinated to see if Peele will break into new genres in the future or end up being typecast as this social horror director.

While entertaining and funny at some points, Vice ends up being a lot more messy than McKay's first foray into intellectual film in The Big Short. The acting from Bale, Adams, and Rockwell, amongst others, is superb and easily the best part of this film. However, its cinematography and tone is all over the place and often comes off as pretentious and non-sensical. In addition, the film should've cut a lot of its first half fluff and put greater focus on Cheney's time in the Bush White House, where most of the action and the best action happens. While there are moments of promise, McKay's sophomore effort comes across as a more juvenile and unfocused attack on a fascinating man, of which Bale compared to the devil.

Aquaman looks like another surprise hit for DC in a crowded holiday season. While it struggles a bit in the acting department, has a by-the-numbers plot, and I feel Black Manta did not need to be in this movie (and could've cut this movie's long run time down), its action, SFX, and just overall fun nature make it a great time at the movies this holiday season.

There's no doubt that I had high expectations going into this movie, considering the original Mary Poppins is one of my favorite Disney movies. While I give credit to the acting and vocals (especially by Blunt as the new Mary Poppins), as well as art design, the film overall is a very mediocre followup. Director Rob Marshall makes what should be an awe-inspiring experience a boring one with lackluster cinematography, a retreading story, and good but forgettable songs that seem to try too hard to emulate many of the classics in the original rather than break any new ground. Overall, this is mediocre followup to a classic film and I am rather disappointed.